Pascale's Kitchen: Chocolate yeast cakes for Shabbat
If you want your house to smell amazing and make your loved ones extra happy they came for Shabbat, I recommend baking a chocolate yeast cake.
By PASCALE PEREZ-RUBINUpdated: JUNE 3, 2021 13:41CHOCOLATE CRUNCH RING(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Everyone loves to eat freshly baked sweet or savory treats made with fresh yeast, with the most popular yeast cake being chocolate, of course.If you want your house to smell amazing and make your loved ones extra happy they came for Shabbat, I recommend baking a chocolate yeast cake. It could be challah or a bobka cake filled with chocolate, nuts, cheese or anything else that strikes your fancy.Learn more about Pascale's Kitchen here>>In my experience, preparing homemade yeast dough that can be kneaded by hand or prepared with an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook is the key to making delicious baked goods. For two of the recipes, the dough needs to rest overnight or at least a few hours in the fridge, so best to prepare it ahead of time.Anyone can make amazing yeast cakes. You definitely don’t need to attend culinary school in order to succeed in this endeavor. It does, however, take some trial and error so you can learn the correct techniques and the conditions that help the dough rise to perfection, so jump in and start experimenting.This week, I’m bringing you three recipes for chocolate yeast cakes that are great for serving on Shabbat. The first recipe is for chocolate freestyle crunch cake that is perfect for people who don’t want to worry about forming the dough into a particular shape.The second recipe is for chocolate crunch ring with slivered almonds that can be baked in a wonder pot or a ring pan. This cake is chock full of chocolate that melts in your mouth with each bite. First, you let the dough rise, then add the filling, arrange the dough in the pan and then let it rise again before placing it in a hot oven. Then, the intoxicating aroma of baking dough and chocolate begins to fill your home.The third recipe is for braided chocolate and cinnamon mini-cakes, which are baked in muffin pans. The only difficult decision you’ll need to make is which of these three cakes to try first.
Dough: 30 gr. yeast¼ cup water, at room temperature200 gr. butter, cut into cubes1 cup milk½ kg. flour, sifted1 Tbsp. vanilla extract2 Tbsp. rum extract2 large eggs8 Tbsp. sugar¼ tsp. saltFilling: 100 gr. butter, cut into cubes1 cup powdered sugar5 Tbsp. cocoa powder, siftedToppings:½ cup broken chocolate pieces2 Tbsp. hazelnuts, choppedEgg wash:1 egg, beaten with 3 drops of oilToppings:½ cup slivered almondsIcing: 1 cup powdered sugar4 Tbsp. water1 tsp. vanilla extract1 Tbsp. rum1 tsp. lemon juiceDissolve the yeast in a bowl with the water. Add the butter and milk to a small pot and heat over a medium flame. Mix until smooth.Add the flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and form a well in the center. Pour the dissolved yeast, vanilla, rum and eggs into the center. Sprinkle the salt and sugar all around.While mixing slowly, add the butter and milk mixture. Mix well. Store in the fridge overnight or at least five hours.To prepare the filling, add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and continue mixing until smooth. Separate the dough into two sections. Roll out each into a sheet that is ½ cm. thick. Spread the filling on both pieces of rolled-out dough and then sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.Roll up the dough starting with the side closest to you, making sure to maintain a uniform thickness throughout. Prepare the second roll in the same fashion.Using a sharp knife, cut each roll lengthwise. Place one strip on top of the other in the shape of an X, with the cut sides facing the same direction. Twist the two strips and then press down to seal the ends. Do the same with the second dough roll. Place on a greased baking tray.Cover and let rise another 20 minutes. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with almonds. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180°C for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry. Mix icing ingredients together in a small bowl and add to the cakes while they are still hot.Level of difficulty: Medium-Hard.Time: Night before + 1.5 hours.Status: Dairy.
Makes 20-22 mini-cakes.4 cups flour, sifted50 gr. yeast½ cup brown sugar2 egg yolks1 Tbsp. honey1 tsp. vanilla extract½ cup milk1 cup water100 gr. butter or margarine, softened and cut into big cubes¼ tsp. saltFilling:1 cup chocolate spread½ Tbsp. cinnamon2 Tbsp. ground walnutsEgg wash:1 egg yolk1 Tbsp. waterIcing:Tbsp. brown sugar¼ cup water2 Tbsp. butterTo prepare the dough, add the flour, yeast and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Next, add the egg yolks, honey, vanilla, milk and half of the water to the bowl. Mix well. Fold in the butter cubes one at a time, then add the salt and the rest of the water if needed, depending on the absorption level of the flour.Mix well until dough falls away from the side of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.Separate the dough into two sections and roll out each one into a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread half of the filling on each piece of dough. Roll up the dough starting from the side closer to you, and press gently to seal the edge. Prepare the second one in the same fashion.Cut each roll into pieces that are 3-4 cm. wide. Then, cut each piece into three strips, braid them and then roll the braids up into a spiral. Place each spiral in its own space in a greased muffin pan. Prepare all the braids in this fashion and then let them rise for another 40 minutes in a warm place.Brush with egg wash. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 170°C for 15-20 minutes until they turn golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool. Add all of the icing ingredients to a small pot and heat over a medium flame until the sugar dissolves. Then, brush on cakes as soon as they come out of the oven.Level of difficulty: Medium.Time: Night before + 2 hours.Status: Dairy. CHOCOLATE FREESTYLE CRUNCH CAKE. (PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
CHOCOLATE FREESTYLE CRUNCH CAKE
Use a 24-cm. diameter pan.Dough:3 cups flour, sifted25 gr. fresh yeast or 1 Tbsp. dry yeast¼ cup sugar1 tsp. quality vanilla extract1 Tbsp. lemon zest1 egg100 gr. butter, melted2 Tbsp. sour cream or yogurt½ tsp. salt1 cup milk, at room temperatureFilling:¾ cup sugar1 packet vanilla sugar¼ cup bittersweet cocoa powder80 gr. butter, melted¾ cup chocolate chipsEgg wash:1 egg, beaten with 2-3 drops of oil or 1 Tbsp. waterIcing:1 cup powdered sugar or sugar4 Tbsp. water1 tsp. vanilla extract1 Tbsp. rum1 tsp. lemon juiceAdd the flour, yeast and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for 1 or 2 minutes. While mixing on low speed, add the vanilla, lemon zest, eggs, butter, sour cream, salt and milk. Mix well.Grease a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it doubles in volume.In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, vanilla sugar and cocoa powder. Flour your workspace and roll out the dough until it’s thin – less than half a centimeter. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the cocoa mixture and the chocolate chips on top of the butter. Roll up the dough into a log shape and then take a knife and slice through lengthwise, but not all the way through. Then, wrap the two strips around each other and place the dough in freestyle on a prepared round pan. Let the dough rise for another 30 minutes.Brush with the egg wash and bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180°C for 30 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 160-170°C for another 15 minutes. If you see that the cake is starting to burn, you can cover with aluminum foil.In a medium-size bowl, mix all of the icing ingredients together. If you’re using regular sugar and not powdered sugar, then heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add icing to cake while it’s still hot out of the oven.Level of difficulty: Medium.Time: 2 hours.Status: Dairy.Translated by Hannah Hochner.
